Ruffles:
The good: Ruffles are a cute, girly way to make a fashion statement this spring. But just like any other bold statement piece, don’t overdo it. Choose a ruffled top, skirt, or dress, and then create the rest of your outfit around that piece.
The bad: This outfit has clearly broken the rules we’ve outlined for you above; trust us, ruffles everywhere is not a flattering look on anyone. Use common sense when putting an outfit together; for example, if you have a flowy, multi-tiered skirt, wear a more form-fitting tank top (with a cute cardigan, of course, so Brandi won’t hunt you down at school) to complement it.
Denim:
The good: Denim, and not just your everyday jeans, is definitely making an appearance this spring. With a variety of colors—pastels, acid wash, black, grey—and styles—dresses, jackets, shorts, and skirts—it’s easy to incorporate many denim pieces into your wardrobe to transition into summer.
The bad: The classic “what not to wear” dilemma: denim on denim. Do not, under any circumstances, wear a denim jacket with matching denim shorts and/or jeans. You risk looking like you’re from the 90’s. Instead, you can wear denim on denim if you choose different washes, like the outfit on the left.
Menswear
The Bad:
There’s a difference between being trendy with a few menswear inspired pieces and dressing like a dude (a badly dressed one, at that). Too much baggy does nothing for the feminine figure, and goes from being fashionable to frumpy. This particular look looks like someone who not only stole her brother’s clothes, but couldn’t even decide whether to go for a surfer look with those torn Bermudas, or a more business casual look.
The Good:
To make the look more feminine and cute, pair the loose button down shirt and vest with a pair of more formfitting shirts that reveal more leg, with a pair of flashy pewter heels to finish off the look. This way you can still have a masculine edge without having people on the streets trying to figure out whether your male or female (hey, some guys like the long hair, you never know).
Punk
The Bad:
QQ, I am a weeping, emo teenager, who wears all black all the time to show the world my anguish. I can’t even show my face, because it isn’t black. I will now go cry in a corner. It’s fun to add a little bit of a metal edge to your outfit, but unless you want to be a hardcore goth, a little bit goes a long way! An all black outfit paired with combat boots doesn’t say fashion, it says be afraid.
The Good:
To make a punk look softer for spring, pair black leggings with stud details and combat boots with a pastel floral tunic. This adds a happy touch to a tough outfit. Also, try trading out the black leather moto jacket for a brown aviator one. Whoever said not to mix black and brown was old school!
Military
The Good: The military trend can seem severe for the average MSJ student, given the sharp cuts and dark colors of the style’s fabric. To keep things on the lighthearted side, pair a military-themed jacket with other feminine spring pieces, like this high-waisted floral skirt. Gray suede ankle boots provide a neutral balance for the darker top, while chunky metallic bangles add the finishing touch to the outfit.
The Bad: This outfit wouldn’t be terrible at all – if it was still December. Head-to-toe dark colors give off a brooding vibe that seems better suited for the more wintery days of the year. Even if you are not into bright colors, muted colors like gray and nude tones definitely trump more somber hues for spring. With this completely black and navy ensemble, you will just look incredibly depressed, a poor teenager confused about transitioning between the two seasons.
The Graphics Print Trend
The Good: If solid-colored basic shirts bored you to tears last winter, then the graphics prints trend is the easiest way to revitalize your wardrobe for spring! A laid-back t-shirt and jeans combination can be enhanced by throwing on a (furless) leopard patterned cropped trench coat. A black chain purse, taupe studded heels, and assorted bracelets add class to the outfit.
The Bad: Prints, if not practiced with moderation, can buy you a ticket to Tackyville faster than you can say “Louis Vuitton”. We decided to spare your eyes and only pair two leopard pieces together (which is still one too many), but the idea still remains: too much of one print is scary. Unless attracting unwanted attention is your goal in life, wear only one graphic-heavy piece and make it the focus of your outfit. If you feel slightly riskier, two different prints can be mixed if they pair reasonably well with each other (i.e. nautical stripes and floral patterns).
Written by Alissa Gwynn, Niku Jafarnia & Aileen Lu
